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Roboski massacre and the U.S. drones
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17 May 2012
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Wall Street Journal investigates role of U.S. drones in Roboski massacre
In a long article published on the Wall Street Journal, Adam Entous and Joe Parkinson investigate the massacre in the village of Roboski. On 28 December Turkish military forces bombed a group of villagers crossing the border into Iraq for small smuggling, the sole activity in that impervious mountain area. Thirty four people were killed when war planes stroke.
The civilian toll also set off alarms at the Pentagon: It was a U.S. Predator drone that spotted the men and pack animals, officials said, and American officers alerted Turkey.
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General Staff asked "silence" about Roboski
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24 April 2012
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Speaking at the reception on the occasion of April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day, Turkish Chief of General Staff Necdet Özel touched on the Roboski event and asked for “silence” from the press.
Özel claimed the General Staff to have delivered all related documents to the prosecution’s office and made the following evaluation concerning Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) objection to inform the sub-commission of Parliemantary Commission on Human Rights; “We have delivered all required information to Specially Authorized Prosecutor of Diyarbakır within the scope of the authority it has. However, nobody seems to comply with the confidentiality decision of the judiciary.”
Including 17 children, 34 civilians involved in border trade in Roboski village of Uludere/Şırnak lost their life as a result of bombing by TSK warplanes on December 28, 2011.
As the mainstream Turkish media didn’t report the event for 14 hours, Presidency of General Staff made a statement after 14 hours which explained the bombing as an “operational accident”.
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UK Report: Kurdish Issue a “litmus test” for Democracy
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12 April 2012
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HERMIONE GEE
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- “Prospects for peaceful steps towards reconciliation between Kurds in the South East and the Turkish state appear to be receding,” says a new British parliamentary report on Turkey.The process of ‘Democratic Opening’ initiated by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2009 has been replaced by a “return to confrontation and armed conflict,” the report says, noting that the state’s treatment of the Kurdish issue should be seen as a “litmus test for Turkish democracy.”
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee report, entitled “UK-Turkey relations and Turkey’s regional role” concludes that, although Turkey is a valuable economic and political partner for Britain, the shortcomings of its justice system and its poor human rights record make it hard to advocate closer ties between the two countries.
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Strip searches in Turkish prisons
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12 April 2012
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Fifteen prisoners on hunger strike in Osmaniye T Type Closed prison are said to be in serious health condions. They are protesting against the inhuman treatment in prison as well as against the military operations against Kurds. Lawyer Ömer Ayaz from the Human Rights Association (İHD) has pointed out that strip searches are going on in the prison and said they are a violation of basic human rights. Strip searching practices are being cited in a report by the Parliament’s Human Rights Watch Commission.
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Zarakolu: I will continue to work for Kurds' rights
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11 April 2012
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Zarakolu said his release, like his arrest, came as a surprise
In a statement after his release from Kandıra F Type Prison on 10 April, academics and publisher Ragıp Zarakolu said that; “I will continue my works to raise awareness in the society about the rights of Kurds.”
Publisher Ragıp Zarakolu as well as other fifteen people detained in Istanbul within the scope of the so-called "KCK" (Kurdistan Communities Union) operation was released on Tuesday afternoon.
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Hunger Striker taken to hospital
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06 April 2012
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One of the hunger strikers at St. Maurice Church of Strasbourg has been taken to the hospital on the 36th Day of the strike while the strike is ongoing. Nigar Enayati, who is an activist form East Kurdistan has been treated and assisted by an emergency crew and 2 ambulances.
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Police in new KCK operation
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13 February 2012
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Raids and detentions in Istanbul, Ankara and Diyarbakır
A new police operation is underway in Istanbul, Ankara and Diyarbakır.
It is understood that early this morning police raided several houses in Istanbul and took many people into custody. In Ankara the operation seems to have targeted especially trade unions. It is reported that the offices of KESK, SES, and Tüm Bel-Sen genel have been raided by police.
The new searches and arrests are part of the ongoing KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) operation.
In Van the deputy mayor, Gülbahar Orhan, has been taken into custody.
In Istanbul police and special teams have been raiding a large number of houses. It is reported that at least 10 people have been taken into custody but the number is likely to increase.
The house of Erentepe (Liz) mayor Mehmet Yaşık has been raided by police.
In Diyarbakır the house of Dicle News Agency (DİHA) journalist, İsmet Mikailoğulları has been raided. The journalist has been taken into custody
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Former, current intelligence chiefs to testify in KCK terrorism probe
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09 February 2012
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MİT Undersecretary Hakan Fidan. (Photo: AA)
TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
A chief prosecutor on Wednesday confirmed that the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) undersecretary, his predecessor and a former deputy undersecretary were summoned to testify in an ongoing probe into a Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) affiliated organization.
İstanbul Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Fikret Seçen on Wednesday said MİT Undersecretary Hakan Fidan, his predecessor Emre Taner and MİT Deputy Undersecretary Afet Güneş were summoned to testify in the ongoing investigation into the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK), which Turkish prosecutors say is a group that controls the PKK and other affiliated groups. Reports said the three became suspects following recently disclosed talks they had with members of the PKK in Oslo.
Most commentators didn't know what to make of the recent twist in the KCK investigation as Fidan was hand-picked by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his position. Observers recalled that the prime minister said late last year -- after his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was accused of cracking down on the Kurdish opposition when Büşra Ersanlı, an academic at Marmara University, was arrested as part of the KCK investigation -- that those who "look out for the KCK should reconsider their stance." Erdoğan had not made a comment on the recent developments by the time Today's Zaman went to print on Wednesday. On Wednesday, Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Tanju Özcan said he had filed charges against Fidan and Güneş, speaking at a press conference at Parliament. He didn't say when the charges were filed. He also said Prime Minister Erdoğan should be included in the investigation. However, sources Today's Zaman talked to say that new evidence -- including testimonies from suspects and witnesses as well as letters exchanged between senior KCK members and PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, which prosecutors say were used for relaying orders for attacks to the PKK -- obtained in the most recent operations into the KCK has played a role in the three men being summoned.
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Kürkçü MP: Roboski massacre started and finished in Ankara
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07 February 2012
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We need to establish who gave the order for this massacre and why, says Mersin BDP deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü
The Uludere parliamentary sub-commission visited the province of Şırnak on Monday to investigate the Turkish military air strike launched near the village of Roboski on 28 December. The bombing killed the death of 34 civilians.
The sub-commission was established within the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission in order to shed light on the massacre.
Members of the commission talked to military and civil officials in Şırnak. On Sunday, they had talked to villagers, mainly relatives of the victims and survivors.
Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Mersin Deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü said in a statement he made to bianet, "The incident started in Ankara and it was finished in Ankara". The investigation was going to be continued in Ankara from now on, he announced.
According to Kürkçü, the commission holds the opinion that the bombing was a planned massacre. A view which facts seem to confirm, the deputy emphasized.
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Kurşun; Who can expect a non biased verdict from these biased courts?
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01 February 2012
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Journalist Kurşun has been sentenced to 166 years and 6 months in prison in 2010
We translated the letter by Vedat Kurşun, editor of the Kurdish daily Azadiya Welat, published by bianet.
I was born on 27 January 1976 in Kızıltepe, district of Mardin. I had to move from one city to another for a long time because of my father’s work as a health officer.
It was only after I had graduated from high school in 1993 that I learned to read and write in my mother language. Because of my interest in the Kurdish language, I made no efforts to continue with my education after high school.
I devoted myself to learn my mother language from then on until the year 2000 when I started to work for Kurdish Azadiya Welat paper.
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- Report on Roboski massacre: extrajudicial execution
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- "No one will be able to prevent us from serving our people"
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